Saturday, 4 February 2012

Kita leaders reject dissolution, want Hasan Ali to replace Zaid

Zaid Ibrahim: Resignation sought

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 — Several Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air (Kita) state leaders have rejected their president Datuk Zaid Ibrahim’s bid to dissolve the party and are instead lobbying his resignation.

According to media reports here, the leaders now want recently sacked PAS leader Datuk Hasan Ali to replace Zaid, saying the proposal to dissolve Kita was ”unprincipled” and “irresponsible”.

“For any party in Malaysia, this is not the time to talk of dissolution when we are getting ready for war,” said Kedah Kita chief Zamil Ibrahim. “I ask the 10,000 Kita members to be calm. The president cannot dissolve the party according to his whim and fancy.

“It will need a three-quarters majority at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM).”

Hasan Ali: Sought to lead "third force".

Zamil said Kita “should be having a dialogue with Hasan, who has emerged as the new third force”.

“Hasan has a strong influence and I believe if he leads the party, it is not impossible that Kita will be strong,” he said at a press conference at which the party’s Johor and Selangor chiefs were also present. “We will become the third force, fitting Hasan’s concept.”

Zaid on Thursday said an EGM would be held to dissolve Kita following reports of members in Kedah and Penang openly attacking Pakatan Rakyat (PR), “making it clear that they are not interested in real issues and merely want to embarrass and ridicule the opposition”.

“I realise now that forming Kita was a mistake,” the former Umno law minister said. “I had hoped to provide alternative ideas in politics and to bring a wider diversity of talent to the opposition’s leadership.”

Zamil hit back, and told reporters that “Zaid has failed to lead the party, so don’t try to blame us”.

The Star also reported that Penang Kita chief and Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng said there had been a “serious communication breakdown” among party leaders over the past four months.

“In October last year, Zaid announced that Kita would not field any candidate in the coming general election,” The Star quoted the former PKR man as saying. “This decision was made

without any consultation, including me as the party’s sole MP.”

Hasan last week said he would start a new non-governmental organisation called “Jati” to continue defending Islam, Malay rights and the Malay Rulers, describing it as a “third force” to help determine who should form the next government.

The former Selangor PAS chief was expelled from the party last month for having persistently undermined PAS’s leadership.

He has also repeatedly accused the party of deviating from its Islamic cause.